


Listen, please

by martianwahtney



Series: p l e a s e [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Spoilers, Fluff and Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-12
Updated: 2016-05-12
Packaged: 2018-06-07 22:29:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6827773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/martianwahtney/pseuds/martianwahtney
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>where Tony finds out some bad things about Bucky and is more than a little uncomfortable, and where Dum-E isn't about to have any of that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Listen, please

     “You killed my mom.”

     The words just tumbled out of Tony’s mouth before he could stop them. He was staring at a point just past Bucky’s shoulder. Unable to look at anything else. Unable to accept that particular possibility because his parents had died in a car crash. For over 20 fucking years he’d believed that.

     “Tony… I-”

     But Tony vaulted to his feet. His sudden motion effectively got Bucky to stop talking. His dark blue gaze seemed to be stuck on the genius. Unable to focus on anything else except the heartbroken appearance of the man who never treated him like a bad guy. Then suddenly Tony stiffened, straight as a rod, and walked out of the room. Bucky was left to sit there, just staring after Tony. He wanted so bad to follow, but there was no way Tony would want to see him.

\--

     Tony sat at the workbench in his lab for all of three minutes and 18 seconds when he got the call about Rhodey. He hadn’t even had time to process the fact that his parents were murdered, and now this. ‘ _Suit malfunctioned somehow… EMP… He’s been seriously hurt Mr. Stark… possible paralysis_ ’. His suit was supposed to be EMP proof, but somehow Tony had fucked up, obviously Tony must have fucked up. It was the only explanation for the suit malfunctioning and falling right out of the damn sky. Now Rhodey- _his_ Rhodey- was seriously injured and it was all Tony’s fucking fault.

     Tony felt panic, anger, and disbelief bubble up in the pit of his stomach. It climbed up toward his chest and threatened to break him.

     In his mind’s eye he saw Howard, Maria, wrecked and bloodied in Howard's ruined car. He saw Rhodey, broken in his War Machine suit.

     (Iron Patriot could fuck the fuck right off).

     His sweet mother slumped back against the passenger seat, eyes vacantly staring into the distance.

     His father with his bloodied face pressed against the steering wheel.

     Rhodey-

      _Rhodey_.

     The emotions bubbled past his chest and clawed up his throat, Tony was left with nothing else to do but scream. Without thinking he lashed out and overturned his lab table. All contents scattered across the floor or shattered upon contact. When Tony was finished with his tantrum he sat down heavily on his chair and tried to catch his breath. Dum-E, U, and Butterfinger’s beeped quietly in the corner of the lab. Tony ran his hand through his unruly hair.

     It was all too much.

\--

     Bucky stepped into Tony’s lab and for just a moment he watched the other man work. He hadn’t been back to the lab since he told Tony about Howard and Maria. Bucky missed being around Tony. He missed the way Tony would look at him, devoid of the mask he wore in public, there was always a softness in his big brown eyes that looked a lot like fondness, something Bucky wasn’t too sure he deserved. He missed Tony’s brilliant, genuine grins. And he really, _really_ missed the way Tony used to talk about anything and everything that popped into his head, even if it was on a subject that Bucky was more than one PhD away from understanding.

     He took another step into the lab. One step nearer to Tony than he’d been in weeks.

     “Do you remember them?”

     Of course Tony knew that Bucky was there. Bucky stared at the engineer’s turned back, wishing so hard he would turn around.

     “I remember all of them,” Bucky told him in all honesty.

     Because he did. He remembered each and every one of his victims. His nightmares often consisted of his victims. Lately his nightmares had focused solely on Howard and Maria Stark. Her last words still echoed in his head ‘ _Please… don’t… Tony… I need… Tony…_ ’. Bucky waited for Tony to say something else. But he didn’t. Bucky’s shoulders slumped and he turned and left the lab.

\--

     “I told you, Tones, I'm making great progress,” Rhodey said, Tony could hear the fond smile on the other man's face.

     “There's no pinching? Any uncomfort? I can fix it up- JARVIS pull up the schematics-”

     “Tony!” this time Rhodey was laughing.

     “Ok, ok,” Tony agreed.

     “Why’d you call, Tones? I know it wasn't just to ask about my progress,” Rhodey stated it like it was a fact- which ok, it was, but Tony wasn't expecting him to catch on so fast.

     “Rhodes! I am hurt that y-”

     “Ok, _Rhodes_? What happened to platypus, or peaches or, plum sauce, or the plethora of other nicknames you saddle me with? What's bothering you?”

     So Tony confessed everything that had happened. How Bucky entered his life, and stole Dum-E’s heart ( ~~Tony’s as well~~ ), then finding out about his parents, and now everything felt like a giant mess, and Dum-E was misbehaving and acting out, and Tony had a feeling Bucky not being around anymore had something to do with that. He tried to keep from admitting any feelings he may have had about the ex-assassin, but he was talking to Rhodey. Rhodey who knew Tony better than Tony knew himself.

     “So, you _like_ him,” once more Rhodey stated it as a fact.

     “I-”

     “Tony, I know you better than you know yourself,” Rhodey interrupted.

     “My _parents_ Rhodes,” Tony protested.

     “Tones, he was brainwashed by bat shit crazy Russians!”

     “I know,” Tony agreed.

     “I know,” he said it much quieter this time, and more to himself than to his best friend.

     “Go talk to him,” Rhodey pushed.

     “Platypus!”

     “Go!” Rhodey said with a laugh in his voice.

\--

     “ _Sergeant Barnes_ ,” Bucky looked up at the ceiling as the AI caught his attention.

     “Yes, JARVIS?”

     “ _The sir would like to see you in his lab_ ,” Bucky’s heart skipped a beat. Tony wanted to see him. Bucky couldn’t imagine it was for a good reason, but it had been a week since he’d even seen the genius let alone talked to him.

     Bucky slowly made his way to Tony’s lab. There were a million and one things he wanted to say to Tony. There had to be _something_ he could do, something he could say to bring Tony back to him. _Anything_.

     Bucky crossed the threshold to the lab and for a second he just watched Tony work. The engineer’s shoulders worked meticulously underneath his shirt, no doubt one featuring an old rock band. At long last Tony turned around to face Bucky.

     “You were bra- HYDRA had you as their bitch when you killed my parents, right? A-and everyone else?”

     “Yes,” even Bucky could hear the earnest tone in his voice. He wanted so bad for Tony to believe that if Bucky had a choice, _any_ other choice than to let HYDRA fuck with his mind, he would have taken it.

     “Were you brainwashed when you broke Dum-E’s heart?”

     What? Bucky blinked and studied Tony for a moment. Of all the conversations he thought he’d have with Tony, this really wasn’t one of the one’s that crossed his mind.

     “Does Dum-E have a heart?”

     “Barnes!”

     “Then you can go fucking apologize to Dum-E,” Tony pointed at the bot who was clearly sulking in the corner of the lab. Bucky slowly made his way to Dum-E, the bot let out a few sad sounding trills.

     “Hey buddy,” Bucky said quietly, he reached out with his metal arm and gently patted Dum-E’s metal frame. Dum-E’s metal arm twisted slightly.

     “Sorry I told you we couldn’t be friends anymore,” the bot trilled, this time he sounded happier than the last.

     “That was mean of me,” Bucky withdrew his hand from Dum-E, the bot beeped and trilled. Metal claw once more nudging against Bucky’s metal arm. Bucky had to laugh at Dum-E’s enthusiasm over their shared metal arms.

     “We’re still metal arm pals,” Bucky assured. He patted the bot’s metal frame again before he stood up. Dum-E trilled in a way that Bucky easily figured to be confusion.

     “I’ll be back soon,” he promised. Dum-E trilled again and his metal claw gripped at the sleeve of Bucky’s red Henley and started to tug him toward Tony. Bucky, not wanting to risk his shirt, followed along. Dum-E led him directly to Tony.

     “Dum-E what is this?” Tony gestured to the whole of Dum-E and Bucky with a screwdriver. Dum-E trilled indignantly. Tony’s eyebrows raised up toward his hairline. His dark brown eyes locked on Bucky.

     “What’d you say to him?”

     “Just that I had to leave!” Bucky defended himself.

     “He obviously doesn’t want you leave,” Tony pointed out.

     “I didn’t think you’d want me to linger,” Bucky stated.

     Tony watched the other man carefully. He looked miserable. Tony fucking hated that. Bucky, much like Tony, had spent far too much of his life being miserable, and Tony really loved seeing Bucky happy. Bucky had a really fucking great smile anyway. But after what happened to Howard and Maria- ‘ _My darling, he was brainwashed into committing horrible crimes of all nature, is he really to blame_?’

     His inner voice sounded scarily like his mother.

     Tony looked back at Bucky. The other man was talking quietly to Dum-E. The bot had yet to relinquish the hold on Bucky’s shirt.

     “It's alright Dum-E, Barnes doesn't have to leave,” Tony said quietly.

     “I don't?” Bucky repeated, his eyes searching Tony’s dark brown gaze. Tony was looking up at him through his dark eyelashes. _Fuck, even his eyelashes look nice_. A smile flicked across Tony's face

     “No,” he said quietly.

     The engineers calloused fingers picked at the sleeve of Bucky’s Henley, slowly trying to pry the fabric from Dum-E’s grip. All the while he murmured quietly to Dum-E. And that's what made Bucky relax. Tony murmuring reassurances at the speed of light, some of the words jumbled together but Bucky could still understand everything the genius was trying to tell Dum-E. How Bucky wasn't going to leave, and that Bucky could come visit for however long and whenever he wanted, and how Tony didn't want Bucky to leave either because Tony kind of liked having Bucky around.

     Tony’s dark eyes flashed up to Bucky's at the final confession, a small, shy smile lit the engineers lips. So raw and vulnerable, and so unlike the smile he presented to the world that Bucky wanted to melt. He had his Tony back.

     And Bucky’s heart soared.

**Author's Note:**

> originally posted to my tumblr!  
> [here!](http://anthonystarhk.tumblr.com)


End file.
